LEOISM โ a venue for our youth to find opportunities to gain eye-opening experiences and awaken the leader within them. A place to call the second home, to find a family to call their own and face challenges head on, thriving and getting groomed as zealous leaders of tomorrow.
With the commencement of the first Leo club in 1957 by Jim Graver, an active member of the Glenside Lions Club with the help of his fellow Lion William Ernst, the Leo movement soon became the official youth program of the Lions International.
The Leo movement goes beyond the mere acronym, “Leo”, standing for Leadership, Experience and Opportunity and provides the youth of the world with an opportunity for development and contribution, individually and collectively, as responsible members of the local, national, and international community.
With the establishment of the Leo Club of Wattala in 1969 Leoism became a pioneer in producing leaders to our motherland. After a phenomenal journey of 51 years, today the Leo Multiple District 306, Sri Lanka, the governing body of 06 Leo Districts (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) stands steadfastly with more than 160 Leo clubs and a membership over 8500 from all over the Island.
Leading these positive agents of change for the year 2020/21 is Leo Champaka Dammage, an aspiring legend in the Leo movement of Sri Lanka. The aim of the Multiple District President for this year is to revolutionize Leoism in Sri Lanka by influencing the youth to think out of the box and give life to innovation, wherefore, the Leo Multiple District 306, Sri Lanka oriented its theme for the year 2020/21 to “Spark Inspiration”. Thus, the Leos are expected to be inspired by the fascinating opportunities and experiences they get and in return inspire the whole world by setting a sterling example.
Club members being the driving force of the Leo movement, the astonishing growth of more than 2500 new blood itself promises the energetic future that awaits the Leo movement of our motherland. The 51 years of exquisite journey of Leos of Sri Lanka is a trailblazer in empowering the youth to blossom into undaunted individuals with absolute resolute and poise. Uplifting the lives of those in need, protecting the mother nature and voicing the unheard voices in the society, Leos continue to march forward as the trendsetters in community serving. The remarkable legend that embarked its journey in 1969 is celebrating its 51st anniversary as a proud creator and a mentor of visionary individuals to the motherland.
Leos focus on varied of aspects through community serving. Not only humans but also insignificant animals and mother nature are taken care of by the Leos. When Leos come together in service, they address societal inequalities, women empowerment, life below water and land, water and energy resources, infrastructure development and many other disturbing issues such as climate change. Their service goes beyond the country borders and reach across oceans to foreign lands. Leos are imbued with the desired to rise as a world as much as they want to rise as a country.
A Leo from the very start of the Leo journey pledges of his heart and soul to be there to set free another from their plight. The reward of being another’s hope for survival is the self-satisfaction of witnessing the glee on the beneficiaries’ faces.
Leoism is all about a group of individuals coming together to set their hearts on leaving a lasting positive impact on the community, which is one of the best ways to grow and develop oneself. Identifying needs, brainstorming for solutions, and then executing the most effective solution possible with the coordination of the peers is the gist of the leo career. Yet within the process, Leos face myriad of experiences of all kind. Not all attempts will be successful, sudden turn of events may cause unexpected obstacles on their way, nevertheless, the beauty of Leoism is that it gives a Leo the grace to fail, learn from it and comeback even stronger.
Throughout the span of 51 years, Leos of Sri Lanka have grown into a dynamic force for good, actively providing our community with kindness and service. The opportunities created in the Leo movement to work with a team towards a common goal originate a platform to the young leaders to understand what people truly want and help them better perform by properly incentivizing their work and progress towards larger goals.
The single most important discipline Leos learn through Leoism is having self-control, inner calm and outer resolve through all circumstances and maintaining a high level of determination and willpower through the worst of adversities. The eye-opening experiences in Leoism challenge the youth to go beyond their comfort zones to speak with more strangers as well as, to learn how to command the attention and speak to a group of any size. Thus, forging quintessential characteristics into the personalities of our youth, the Leo movement in Sri Lanka continues to play a pivotal role in grooming future leaders of impeccable strength.
Standing together as one under the guidance of the Leo Multiple District President Leo Champaka Dammage, the entire Leo community of Sri Lanka, the Leo Multiple District 306, will keep striving to soar higher and higher overcoming the obstacles on the way. Leos are luminaries that can impact the global community from a single initiative. The legacy will thus continue its amazing journey with Leos of Sri Lanka sparking inspiration within themselves as well as in the outer world. Leo Multiple District 306, Sri Lanka, a legacy of 51 years, a venue that shapes lives, an opportunity for our youth to find themselves, proudly steps into yet another year of excellence with utter resilience.
Leo Dinithi Athulathmudali
Voice of Leos Team
